Irony: Federal Government Workshop On Openness... Closed To The Public

from the well-that's-nice dept

The Obama administration still has a very mixed record on transparency and openness. Despite promising to be a lot more transparent and open, the federal government has been extremely selective in where it actually is open. So, yes, it's done a decent job with some online projects like Recovery.gov and USASpending.gov, but in other areas, such as on ACTA negotiations the government has resisted openness at pretty much every turn. So, while perhaps it's understandable, it does seem rather ironic that the federal government's workshop on openness is closed to the public. Yes, it's an internal workshop for federal government employees, but it certainly seems to be a symbolic point that openness is something that's talked about more often than done.

In other words,

Citizen,
You have been found guilty of thinking. As you should very well know independent though is very dangerous and highly illegal. You must trust your mighty government overlords with full confidence. Confidence like that you place in the gumball or other candy dispensary machine from which you enjoy simple pleasures. We will be sending a unit to your house to ensure your though control device is properly enabled. Also please note we are being open about this workshop and feel that this is enough openness for one year. Please remember to serve your government well and trust us, we are doing what is best for you.
We thank you for your time Citizen